Video catches grisly mauling in Miami

MIAMI - Rudy Eugene walked naked alongside the MacArthur Causeway before pouncing on a homeless man he found dozing in the shade of the elevated Metromover train tracks.

MIAMI ó Rudy Eugene walked naked alongside the MacArthur Causeway before pouncing on a homeless man he found dozing in the shade of the elevated Metromover train tracks.

For almost 18 grisly minutes, Eugene savaged his victim, punching him and stripping the manís pants before gnawing off the homeless manís face ó all as cars and cyclists rolled by on the busy causeway on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

The new details of the attack were captured in additional video footage taken by security cameras at the Miami Herald building.

At least five passers-by, including one from the Florida Department of Transportation, called police to report what they saw. Three bicyclists pedaled by the two bloody men in the minutes before the arrival of Miami Police Officer Jose Rivera, who fatally shot Eugene to end the attack, the new footage shows.

The shooting itself was obstructed in the video.

Yesterday, police identified Eugeneís victim as Ronald Poppo, 65, a homeless man for more than three decades. With his nose, mouth and eyes torn off, he remained in critical condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital yesterday.

The new video, and information from police, suggest that Eugene came upon Poppo by happenstance.

The footage shows Eugene walking naked along the Biscayne Boulevard off-ramp of the causeway about 1:55?p.m. Saturday when he paused in a shady spot under the Metromover Omni loop line. For about two minutes, Eugene bent over a second figure, then rolled Poppo out onto the sidewalk, stripping off his clothes. Eugene later appeared to straddle Poppo and hunch over him for several minutes.

Still unclear is what motivated the attack. Toxicology tests of Eugeneís blood likely will take several weeks.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.